The Hunt starts here | ebay

Collectors know eBay—but many still see it as a marketplace for used goods, not a modern destination for serious collecting. With new platforms emerging, it was time to reassert eBay’s role in the hobby.

At The National—the largest sports collectibles event in the U.S.—we launched The Hunt Starts Here, an immersive activation that turned the convention floor into a live eBay search party. Fifty grail cards, worth over $100,000, were hidden across the showroom floor using QR codes. Visitors to our space got the tools, tips, and insider knowledge needed to find them.

With livestream shopping, smart collector features, and a thriving community, we brought the thrill of the hunt to collecting’s biggest stage—and reminded everyone why eBay remains the most trusted platform in the game.

Fans kicked off their grail hunt at “The Search Bar,” where they got the lowdown on the rules and checked out the grail cards up for grabs on touch tablets. We created this whole experience from scratch to make sure it was fun and easy to engage with.

We created a one-of-a-kind space filled with experiences that brought out fans’ love for collecting. There was an “Up Your Skills” zone with eBay demos and games, including a “Grade The Grail” challenge where fans got to guess the grade of a grail card. Plus, a “Shoot To Win” station where fans could take basketball shots to score eBay Collector mystery packs.

Fans who completed all the experiences at our booth walked away with an eBay Collector Pack, packed with a random sports card—some even included high-value grails.

We had some major stars drop by our booth to join the hunt and hop on our eBay livestreams, including Rob Gronkowski, Johnny Manziel, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Patrick Ewing, Ken Goldin, and more.

AD: Jimmy Morrissey

GCD: Bengt Asplund